Automobile Racing in 1997

U.S. Auto Racing.

American auto racing enjoyed a year of unprecedented prosperity and popularity in 1997, manifested in the inauguration of multimillion-dollar race tracks in California, Illinois, and Texas and the success of the Indy Racing League (IRL), the single-seater series born of the clash of wills between Indianapolis Motor Speedway management and Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART). Several race series sponsored by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) also continued to grow.

Not only was the Indianapolis 500-mi classic, the world’s oldest motor race, held without the CART driving stars, but the IRL also proved its passenger car engine-based race-car formula was viable. The organization began building a new roster of star drivers that attracted crowds at such places as the Pikes Peak (Colorado) International Raceway and the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.

The first Indianapolis 500 raced under new rules designed specifically for oval closed courses was won by Dutch-born Arie Luyendyk in an Oldsmobile Aurora-powered G-Force chassis at an average speed of 145.827 mph. He also was the only repeat victor in the 10-race IRL series, winning the inaugural Texas 500. At Indy, which was delayed by rain for two days, Luyendyk bested Treadway Racing teammate Scott Goodyear of Canada by 0.570 sec in a controversial finish when a green flag dropped suddenly while the track’s caution lights remained on.

At the new California Speedway’s Marlboro 500, the finale of the 17-race CART PPG World Series, Brazilian Mauricio Gugelmin set an American pole record of 240.942 mph in a qualifying lap, but Britisher Mark Blundell won the race for Mercedes. The series championship, the runner-up spot, and third place all went to Reynard Honda as Alex Zanardi of Italy finished first, French-born Gil de Ferran was second, and defending champion Jimmy Vasser was third. Mercedes won the engine manufacturers crown. The series visited Australia, Brazil, and Canada, and CART announced a race in Japan for 1998.

NASCAR continued to be the dominant sanctioning body in the U.S. Its 32-event Winston Cup series enjoyed its closest finish in history. Jeff Gordon (Chevrolet Monte Carlo) reclaimed his driver crown by 14 points over Dale Jarrett (Ford Thunderbird), with another Thunderbird, Mark Martin, 15 points behind Jarrett. Gordon posted 22 top-five finishes and won 10 races.

At Daytona Gordon led an unprecedented 1-2-3 sweep for Rick Hendrick Motorsports, with Terry LaBonte finishing second and Ricky Craven third. Six laps from the end, the trio set out after Ford’s Bill Elliot, with Gordon elbowing past on a daring dive almost on the infield grass. Ironically, Jarrett, who was to win seven times himself, was involved in the crash that gained the lead for the Hendrick trio.

Chevrolet was also the makers’ titlist in NASCAR’s other major series. Jack Sprague won the Craftsman Truck series, and in the Busch Grand National, Randy Lajoie defended his championship successfully.

American sports-car racing produced another season of flux. Andy Evans, a Seattle, Wash.-area multimillionaire racer, bought the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), changed its name to Professional SportsCar Racing (SportsCar), and was in the winning Ferrari 333 SP (with Stefan Johannsen, Fermin Velez, and Yannick Dalmas) at the 12 Hours of Sebring in March. The final race under the generation-old IMSA name was the 24 Hours of Daytona in January. There, two American-engined cars with Riley & Scott (R&S) chassis sandwiched Evans’s 333 SP in a contest that was unusually exciting for an endurance race. The winning R&S Ford was owner Rob Dyson’s backup car and had seven drivers, including eventual SportsCar national champion Butch Leitzinger. Third was an Oldsmobile-powered R&S with Eduardo Dibos of Peru, Jim Pace, and Barry Waddell. The victor was still in doubt into the final half hour of the race.

At the end of the season, Bill France, Jr., owner of the Daytona Speedway and president of NASCAR, awarded the contract to run the 24 Hours of Daytona race to Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). He also announced a new jointly owned series, U.S. Road Racing Championship. Meanwhile, SCCA’s venerable Trans-Am series again crowned Tom Kendall and Ford champions.

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